Pump and drive means therefor



D. C. WALKER PUMP AND DRIVE MEANS THEREFOR March 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1965 flaw/w 6. ham Z? ATTORNEYS- arch 14, 1967 PUMP AND DRIVE MEANS THEREFOR Filed May 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

flan/410 6 ATTORNEYS D. c. WALKER 3,308,764

United States Patent Ofilice 3,38 ,764 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,368,764 PUMP AND DRIVE MEAN THEREFOR Donald C. Walker, R0. Box 725, Mill City, Greg. 9736i) Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,093 11 Claims. (Cl. 103-103) This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to a submersible pump and drive means therefor for use in economically emptying a debris-filled pond, excavation, pool, or the like.

There are many circumstances occurring in the conduct of various business enterprises which require the periodic emptying of a debris-filled pond. For example, logs are customarily floated in a log pond for subsequent sawing into lumber. Because of the debris generated by a lumber mill, an adjacent log pond rapidly becomes filled with sawdust, chips and the like. Since it is necessary to periodically clean out such a pond, pumps in the past have been placed on the bank with a suction line running into the pond. Such a pump has proved disadvantageous since it is desirable to remove much of the debris along with the water, since the long suction hose requires a close tolerance pump, and since a close tolerance pump is readily damaged by chips and the like.

Although submersible pumps have been used in other environments along with flexible drive shafts, such devices have not proved readily adapted for the above-indicated purpose, since the inlet is customarily downwardly facing, which allows it to become more readily clogged. Likewise, such pumps are made to close tolerances which, of course, means that they are unable to propel large chips.

It is accordingly a primary object of the instant invention to provide a submersible rotary pump having a flexible driveshaft, and adapted to pump water and debris.

Another object of this invention is to provide a centrifugal pump and drive means which is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a centrifugal pump which is simple, durable, compact and lightweight.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a centrifugal pump and flexible drive means in conjunction with a portable prime mover.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and operation, some of which will be apparent and some of which will be apparent and some of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an overall pictorial view of the pump, flexible drive shaft, and portable power plant of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the pump shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pump of FIGURE 2 taken substantially along line 33 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view of the pump of FIGURE 3 taken substantially along line 4-4 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded isometric view of the pump of FIGURES 1 through 4.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout the several views, there is indicated generally at 10 a pumping system comprising a portable power plant shown generally at 12, a flexible drive connection 14, a centrifugal pump indicated generally at 16 and a discharge hose 18. Power plant 12 may be of any desired type, but it is preferably a lightweight internnal combustion engine having a clutch means 2% of any conventional type.

Flexible drive connection 14, which may be either a flexible or an articulated shaft of the conventional type, connects engine 12 and pump 16 and includes an outer collar 22 positioned adjacent the end of shaft 14 which is interiorly configured to allow rotatable movement of shaft 14- therein. Aflixed on the end of shaft 14 is a shaft receiving collar 24 having a blind aperture 26 coaxial With shaft 1d and a pair of transverse threaded apertures 28, 30 perpendicularly communicating therewith. As pointed out more fully hereinafter, a pair of set screws 32, 34 are positioned in threaded apertures 28, 3d to secure a drive shaft of pump 16.

Pump 16 comprises a rotor housing indicated generally at 36 comprising a cylindrical wall 38, a series of rearwardly extending threaded studs 4!) secured thereon, a front closing plate 42 having a relatively large axial inlet opening 44, and a tangential outlet 4-6 from which extends discharge hose 18. Pump 16 also includes a rotor indicated generally at 43 comprising a rearwardly extending substantially cylindrical shaft 50 having a fiat surface 52 thereon for engagement by set screws 32, 34, a circular plate 54 centrally secured to the forward end of shaft St), a rotor hub 56 centrally secured to plate 54, and a series of impeller blades indicated generally at 58 tangentially extending from hub 56 and secured to plate 5 3;

As shown in FIGURE 3, blades 58 comprise an enlarged outer substantially square impeller portion 60 and an inner trapezoidal-shaped section 62. An important feature of the instant invention is found in the size relationships of axial opening 44, cylindrical casing 38 and impeller blades 58. Since it is desirable to propel debris along with fluid from the pond desired to be emptied, axial inlet 44 is of considerable size and has a diameter of between 25 to percent of the diameter of plate 42, with 33 percent being the most advantageous percentage. As shown in FIGURE 2, inner blade section 62 and opening 44 are such that about one-third each of blade section 62 is exposed.

Since the internal configuration of pump 16 must be such as to easily accommodate large particles of debris, pump blades 58 are about one-half the longitudinal dimension of cylindrical casing 38 and extend no closer than about one inch to the periphery thereof. As pointed out more fully hereinafter, rotor 48 not only rotates within casing 38 but also may oscillate longitudinally thereof to a limited extent in order to more easily accommodate debris.

It should be apparent from the size of opening 44, casing 38, and rotor 48, that pump 19 does not produce an appreciable suction head sufficient to lift the fluid to be pumped any substantial distance, Instead, pump 10 relies upon its submergence to effectuate a supply of fluid thereinto. It is also apparent that the impellers, in addition to functioning as ejectors, act as agitators, mixing semisolids with fluid to facilitate the pumping operation.

Pump 16 also includes a rearwardly disposed housing 64 comprising a substantially circular plate e6 having a series of unthreaded apertures 68 disposed around the periphery thereof for receiving threaded studs of casing 36 and a centrally disposed aperture 79 for receiving shaft of rotor 48. Disposed concentrically about aper ture 7 G and secured to plate 66 is a drive shaft connecting means indicated generally at 72 comprising a generally cylindrical sleeve 74 having a pair of apertures 76, 78 in alignment with threaded openings 28, 39, thus providing a means of access to set screws 32, 34. Disposed rearwardly of apertures 76, 78 is a frictional clamping device indicated generally at 30 comprising a pair of upstanding cars 82 providing a pair of transversely aligned apertures 84 through which extends a bolt 86 having a threaded end 88 and a threaded nut 96 thereon.

Another important feature of the instant invention resides in the oscillation of rotor within casing 36 and the means providing for such oscillation. As shown in FIG- URE 3, sleeve 74 in conjunction with a pair of shoulders 92 adjacent aperture 70 and outer sleeve 22 provides a compartment in which shaft receiving collar 24 may oscillate. Since collar 24 is fixedly secured to rotor shaft 50, rotor 48 may undergo identical oscillation with sleeve 24. When a large chip is drawn into axial inlet 44 and contacts impeller blades 58, the entire rotor may move rearwardly in an attempt to accommodate the chip.

In the event it is found desirable to preclude the oscillation of rotor 48, a transverse slot 94 is provided in sleeve 74 through which a transverse retaining means may be placed. As is evident from FIGURE 3, such a transverse retaining means would preclude oscillation by aligning slot 94 in the shoulders produced by outer sleeve 22 and shaft receiving sleeve 24.

As shown in FIGURE 1, discharge hose 18, which may be of any convenient type, is fixedly secured to tangential outlet 46 of pump 16. Although it would appear necessary to provide a stand or other platform support for pump 16 in order to'prevent outer casing 36 from rotating with rotor 38, it has been found that the coactiori of tangential outlet 46 and discharge hose 18 with the bottom of a pond precludes such rotation and obviates the necessity fora platform support.

It is now seen that there is herein provided an improved pump and drive means therefor which satisfies all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A pump comprising:

an impeller rotor;

a cylindrical casing having a tangential discharge opena front closure member having an inlet opening therethrough;

a rear closure member having an opening therethough;

a driven shaft secured to the rear of the rotor and extending through the opening in the rear closure;

a drive shaft;

means connecting the drive shaft to the driven shaft for rotatably driving the rotor;

means, connected to the casing, mounting the drive shaft connecting means for rotary movement and for reciproca-ble movement relative to the casing to permit rotary movement of the rotor and translational movement of the rotor in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cylinder casing.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the means mounting the drive shaft connecting means comprises:

a cylindrical member extending from the rear closure rotatably and slidably receiving the drive shaft connecting means and means limiting slidable motion in the cylindrical memher.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein:

the cylindrical member has a transverse slot therethrough to permit insertion of means to prevent translational movement of the drive shaft connect ing means; and

means adapted for insertion in the transverse slot to prevent translational movement of the drive shaft connecting means.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said diameter of said axial inlet is between 25 percent and 50 percent of said diameter of said casing.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said diameter of said axial inlet is about 33 percent of said diameter of said casing.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said blades comprise a first trapezoidal portion secured to said hub and a second rectangular portion secured to said first portion, said inlet exposing a part of said trapezoidal portion of said blade.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said non-rigidconnection comprises a flexible drive shaft.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said blades occupy about one half of the internal dimension of said casing parallel to said longitudinal axis and said blades terminate a substantial distance from said cylindrical casing.

9. The structure of claim 1 wherein said casing is arranged with said longitudinal axis parallel to an underlying surface, said tangential discharge being located parallel and juxtaposed to said underlying surface, said pump being free of a platform support.

iii. A pump for fluids having entrai comprising:

a cylindrical casing;

a front cover for the casing having an inlet opening therethrough, said inlet opening being approximately one-third the diameter of the cylindrical casing;

a rear cover for the casing having an opening therethrough;

a rotor in the casing, said rotor having blades which occupy about one half the longitudinal dimension of the casing and terminate a substantial distance from the walls of the cylindrical casing;

a drive shaft extending from the rear of the rotor through the opening in the rear cover;

a generally cylindrical mounting sleeve extending from the rear covensaid sleeve surrounding the opening in the rear cover;

a flexible drive connection extending from the distal end of the sleeve to a rotary drive means;

a shaft receiving collar fixedly secured to the proximate end of the flexible drive connection anddemountably secured to the drive shaft, said shaft receiving collar being mounted for rotary and translational movement in the mounting sleeve;

an outer collar rotata'hly receiving the flexible shaft;

and

means on the mounting sleeve securing the outer collar a spaced distance from the rear cover for permitting limited translation of the shaft receiving collar and the rotor in the direction of the axis of the cylindrical casing to permit entrained solids to pass through the pump. around the rotor and to prevent the build-up of deposits of said entrained solids in the cylindrical casing. V

11. In a pump for pumping fluids carrying entrained solids of the type having a cylindrical casing having a tangential outlet opening, an axial inlet opening and a rotor in the casing, the improvement comprising:

means mounting the rotor for translational movement axially of the cylindrical casing and for rotary movement in the casing.

ned solids therein,

(References on following page) Y References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Fergusson 230-259 Murphy et a1. 103-103 Anderson 103-111 Mellott 103-103 Sence 103-103 Egger 103-103 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria. Belgium. France. France. Germany.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Examiner. 

1. A PUMP COMPRISING: AN IMPELLER ROTOR; A CYLINDRICAL CASING HAVING A TANGENTIAL DISCHARGE OPENING; A FRONT CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING AN INLET OPENING THERETHROUGH; A REAR CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH; A DRIVEN SHAFT SECURED TO THE REAR OF THE ROTOR AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE REAR CLOSURE; A DRIVE SHAFT; MEANS CONNECTING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO THE DRIVEN SHAFT FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING THE ROTOR; MEANS, CONNECTED TO THE CASING, MOUNTING THE DRIVE SHAFT CONNECTING MEANS FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT AND FOR RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE CASING TO PERMIT ROTARY MOVEMENT OF THE ROTOR AND TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE ROTOR IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CYLINDER CASING. 